Following the expiration of a one year extension of the 2018 Farm Bill that the US Congress passed last year, some federal lawmakers are disappointed with not passing a new one.

Senator Joni Ernst is frustrated that the Senate Agriculture Committee Chair, Debbie Stabenow-D Michigan, will not allow the committee to create their own version of a new five-year Farm Bill, along with not allowing them to consider running a similar bill that the US House Agriculture Committee passed earlier this year.

“The most recent ag committee hearing that we had, which was a number of months ago, we focused on crypto currency. We didn’t talk about the ag bill, period.’

Ernst believes the lack of action by the Senate to help farmers is impacting them negatively.

“And you look at all of the natural disasters we have gone through and the programs that support these farmers when they are in need. We need to update the bases prices and we’re not able to do that because we don’t have a Farm Bill.”

Ernst anticipates there being another one year extension of the same Farm Bill that was passed by Congress in 2018. The US House has yet to take up the new Farm Bill for a floor vote, after the House Ag Committee passed the legislation this past May. When a new Farm Bill is passed, it is valid for five years.